African lovegrass Eragrostis curvula

Invasive plant

A native of southern Africa, African lovegrass was probably frst introduced to Australia by accident as a contaminant of pasture seed. Diferent cultivars of African lovegrass have also been used as a soil stabiliser in erosion-control situations.

African lovegrass has been planted in diferent locations throughout south-east Queensland and has naturalised in all Australian states in acidic, red and especially sandy soils.

African lovegrass produces vast quantities of seeds, which quickly develop into a large viable seed bank, making the plant very difcult to eradicate. African lovegrass is extremely competitive with other pasture species and is an aggressive invader, quickly overtaking sparse, overgrazed or poor quality pastures, particularly in sandy soils.

African lovegrass can form dense monocultures up to 1.2 m high. This can create large fuel loads in the dry months, posing a fre hazard and creating competition with native species regeneration.

Legal requirements African lovegrass is not a prohibited or restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014. However, by law, everyone has a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to take reasonable and practical steps to minimise the biosecurity risks associated with invasive plants under their control.

Local governments must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants in their area. This plan may include actions to be taken on African lovegrass. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local government for more information.

Description African lovegrass is a densely tufted, perennial species that can grow up to 1.2 m in height. The plant is generally erect, but stems may bend at the lower nodes—the whole plant often adopts a weeping habit.

The narrow leaf blades are of varying lengths and are coloured bright green to blue-green. Leaves are generally hairless, tough to break and have distinct parallel veins.

The young fower head may be compact but then spreads, and seed heads can be up to 30 cm long. Spikelets/seeds have the typical overlapping herringbone feature of all Eragrostis species.

The robust, tufted leaf blades are supported by a fbrous root system contained mostly in the top 50 cm of soil.

A distinguishing feature of African lovegrass is that the basal sheaths (surrounding its crown at ground level) have very fne silky hairs.

Habitat and distribution African lovegrass is mainly found along roadsides, railway lines and other neglected areas where it favours acidic and light, sandy soils. However, it has encroached onto adjacent degraded pastures causing a reduction in preferable pasture species.

While African lovegrass is not generally considered a problem in western areas of Queensland due to its lack of drought tolerance and lower seed-bank viability, it does occur in areas such as Charleville, Quilpie and Winton.

African lovegrass reproduces by seed, producing thousands at a time.

Visit the Weeds Australia website at https://profles.ala. org.au/opus/weeds-australia for the most up-to-date distribution in Queensland.

Methods of spread Slashing of roadsides is a common method of dispersal for this plant, as the seed is easily transported by machinery and motor vehicles. Other dispersal methods are attachment on the fur and hooves of animals, and as a soil and grain contaminant.

Recent studies have also shown that cattle feeding on African lovegrass can excrete viable seed up to 10 days after consumption.

African lovegrass generally grows in summer. However, it has the ability to go to seed at any time of the year provided there is enough moisture and temperatures are high enough.

There is concern that African lovegrass is spreading into more fertile areas of southern Queensland and invading pasture, lucerne and summer-cropping areas.

Control Management strategies Control of African lovegrass is not easy and requires an integrated approach in overall pasture management.

Before using any control method, correct identifcation of African lovegrass is important to distinguish it from the many native Eragrostis species. Once identifcation is confrmed, efective control of African lovegrass depends on preventing seed spread and whether the land afected is arable or non-arable—both situations require an integrated land management program.

Prevention of spread to clean areas and control of new infestations is the best option for African lovegrass. Any plants should be destroyed before they set seed.

Preventative measures include the following:

• Ensure that any fodder, stock, soil or produce purchased, and any vehicles entering your property, are free of weed seeds.

• Request a weed hygiene declaration. • Do not allow stock in pastures of seeding African

lovegrass. • Avoid ploughing, grading or disturbing soil to allow

better growth of competitors and new pasture. • Continue monitoring the property for new infestations

and regrowth.

Mechanical control Any physical disturbance of African lovegrass, such as slashing and ploughing, can promote spread and re-infestation. Therefore, if mechanical practices are necessary they must be carried out carefully and with clean equipment, which must also be cleaned after use.

Scattered African lovegrass plants can be chipped out before they fower. Better results will be achieved if chipping out is followed by over-sowing and fertilising the area. When chipping out the plant ensure that the tussock crowns are removed, as this will prevent regrowth. If in seed, the stems must be cut and bagged frst.

Herbicide control Before using any herbicide always read the label carefully. All herbicides must be applied strictly in accordance with the directions on the label. Also note that some herbicides require a withholding period. If the addition of a wetting agent is recommended, always use a commercial wetting agent or surfactant. Details of herbicides for the control of African lovegrass are listed in Table 1.

African lovegrass Eragrostis curvula 2

A foliar application should be sprayed when the plant is green and actively growing. Residual herbicides are best applied from July to December, as this will help stop seed set in the following summer. Flupropanate symptoms on African lovegrass may take over three months to show efect and up to twenty-four months to kill the plant. Always observe and adhere to the grazing withholding periods.

Fire and herbicide management

Appreciable levels of African lovegrass control have been observed in southern states of Australia when integrating a burning regime followed by a herbicide treatment onto the fresh regrowth. Burns should be undertaken in late Autumn, early Spring to maximise the highest burn intensity whilst maintaining a safe working environment. Herbicides are then applied to the fresh regrowth two to three months later.

Biological control

As part of a three-year project (to June 2022) led by AgriFutures Australia, the New South Wales Environmental Trust is providing a cash contribution to target a biological program on African lovegrass as a component of the national project ‘underpinning agricultural productivity and biosecurity by weed biological control’ supported by the Australian Government programme Rural Research and Development for Proft (RRnD4P) (Round 4) being administered by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The activities include surveys in southern Africa for natural enemies associated with African lovegrass and the testing of promising natural agents against African lovegrass.

Table 1. Herbicides for the control of African lovegrass

Pasture management African lovegrass is palatable to stock when it is young. However, it does go to seed very quickly, forming a fbrous and tough tussock making it difcult to digest once it’s dry.

Heavy grazing of African lovegrass while it is young and succulent is recommended, as this is when it is the most palatable and nutritious to stock.

The older growth has low palatability and is usually avoided by animals. It will only be eaten once all other pasture has been consumed.

It is thought that as long as African lovegrass is kept short, protein content can be as high as 20%. Maintaining a healthy pasture will help reduce the chances of lovegrass infestation. Keep bare patches of ground to a minimum, as lovegrass will quickly establish in these areas.

As cattle can spread viable seed, it is advisable to either prevent cattle from grazing on African lovegrass while it is in seed, or to quarantine stock before moving to clean paddocks.

Re-sowing of desirable pasture species may be an option in small areas that are heavily infested.

Further information Further information is available from your local government ofce, or by contacting Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or visit biosecurity.qld.gov.au.

Situation Herbicide Rate Comments

Pasture, non-crop and right-of-way areas

Glyphosate (360 g/L) e.g. Weedmaster® Duo

100 mL/10 L water Spot spray only Apply to actively growing plants

6 L/ha and re-plant Use in areas where pasture is being re-sown

Glyphosate (540g/L) e.g. Roundup PowerMax

67 mL/10 L spot spray Consult label for details

Glyphosate (other formulations) Refer to label for rate, or calculate rate by the formula: 100 x 360/xxx mL/10L, where xxx is the strength of the formulation you are using in g/L

Commercial and industrial areas, around agricultural buildings, rights-of-way including roadsides, around guide posts, railways, power lines and telephone lines

Sulfometuron-methyl 750g/kg (e.g. Mojo, Mako)

400 or 800 g/ha 40 or 80 g/100 L 6 or 12 g/15 L

Plus glyphosate as a tank mix at label rates

Boom spray Handgun knapsack

Consult labels for details

Grass seed crops Atrazine 500 g/L (e.g. Atrazine 500 SC)

4.5–6.0 L/ha/year Pre-emergent. Consult label for details. Annual limits apply to atrazine application.

Atrazine 600 g/L (e.g. Gesaprim 600 SC)

3.7–5.0 L/ha/year

Atrazine 900 g/kg (e.g. Atradex WG)

2.5–3.3 kg/ha/year

African lovegrass Eragrostis curvula 3

Table 1. Herbicides for the control of African lovegrass (continued)

Situation Herbicide Rate Comments

Sorghum, broom millet, saccaline, and forage sorghum, dryland and irrigated

Atrazine 500 g/L (e.g. Atrazine 500 SC)

Rate depends on control technique and situation

Pre-plant, pre-emergence or post emergence. Rate depends on control technique and situation. Consult label for details. Annual limits apply to atrazine application. Atrazine 600 g/L

(e.g. Gesaprim 600 SC)

Atrazine 900 g/kg (e.g. Atradex WG)

Established turf Prodiamine 480 g/L (e.g. Barricade)

2–3 L/ha Apply prior to weed emergence in early spring. Consult label for details.

Turf S-Metalochlor 960 g/L (e.g. Pennmag Turf Herbicide)

2 L/ha or 20 mL/ 100 m2

Apply prior to weed emergence as per label instructions.

Garden beds (under mulch) and potted plants in nurseries, public open spaces and residential or commercial gardens

Prodiamine 480 g/L (e.g. Barricade)

4–6 L/ha Apply prior to weed emergence for residual control. Consult label for details.

Container and in-ground ornamental plants

Oxyfuorfen 20g/kg + oryzalin 10 g/kg (e.g. Rout Ornamental Herbicide)

100 kg/ha or 1 kg/ 100 m2

or 10 g/m2 Apply granules evenly as per label instructions

Pastures and non-crop situations

Flupropanate 745 g/L (e.g. Taskforce or Apparent Rocky 745 Herbicide)

300 mL/100L 3 L/ha

Spot spraying Boom spray

Flupropanate 745 g/L (e.g. Taskforce or Apparent Rocky 745 Herbicide)

22.5 kg/ha 2.25 g/m2

Apply February to December, ideally during the vegetative stage of growth to allow sufcient time for herbicide to take efect prior to fowering. Ground or aerial application Spot application

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

Regisitered products Containing: 745 g/L Flupropanate present as the sodium sal tas their only active constituent

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

e.g. 150–300 mL/100L 1.5– 3 L/ha 500 mL/10L

APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 See general advisory notes and critical use comments on page 13 and 14. See specifc critical use comments for fupropanate on page 15 and 16. See *withholding periods for fupropanate on page 22. Spot spraying Boom spray Wick wiper/blanket wiper

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

Registered products Containing: glyphosate 360g/L or 450g/L or 540g/L

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

Tank mixes can only be use in situations listed for both herbicides

Tank mixes of registered products Containing: 745 g/L Flupropanate and registered products Containing: glyphosate 360g/L or 450g/L or 540g/

Various See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 for details

See APVMA Minor Use Permit 9792 Tank mixes can only be use in situations listed for both herbicides. See general advisory notes and critical use comments on page 13 and 14. See specifc critical use comments for fupropanate on page 15 and 16. See *withholding periods for fupropanate on page 22.

* Withholding period FLUPROPANATE Broadacre: DO NOT graze or cut for stock food for at least 4 MONTHS after application. Spot spray: DO NOT graze or cut for stock food for at least 14 DAYS after application. Stock are not to be grazed in treated areas for at least 14 DAYS prior to slaughter. DO NOT graze lactating cows or goats in treated areas. PERMIT PER9792 expires 30 November 2025

Read the label carefully before use. Always use the herbicide in accordance with the directions on the label.

This fact sheet is developed with funding support from the Land Protection Fund.

Fact sheets are available from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) service centres and our Customer Service Centre (telephone 13 25 23). Check our website at biosecurity.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the latest version of this fact sheet. The control methods referred to in this fact sheet should be used in accordance with the restrictions (federal and state legislation, and local government laws) directly or indirectly related to each control method. These restrictions may prevent the use of one or more of the methods referred to, depending on individual circumstances. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, DAF does not invite reliance upon it, nor accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by actions based on it.

© The State of Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 2021. 06/21